Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation
“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”
– George Orwell
For those of you following along at home, our recent post on purposeful collecting included the suggestion of grabbing matchbooks. (We think that’s great. Lots of bars have them.) Our post on accidental collecting plumbed the depths of forgotten closets. (That’s good, too. Most houses have them.)
Let’s go even bigger. Let’s talk about the collective memory of a generation. (That’s the best. Everyone’s a part of one.)
Our last post mentioned Flipside, a documentary film about labors of love.
Another Gen X doc, Brats, centers on a pop culture watershed moment in the 1980s when Hollywood discovered teens and young adults on dates were the ones buttering their bread. Directors like Joel Schumacher and John Hughes brought stars like Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald into our Friday nights at the movies and later into our cable boxes and VCRs. But the “Brat Pack” label stung McCarthy and this walk down memory lane was his catharsis.
We have one complaint about the documentary. It doesn’t answer the question of why did McCarthy agree to do Weekend at Bernie’s AND its misguided sequel?! Our guess is that it was all about collecting some Benjamins. But that leaves the option for a Brats sequel open.
The takeaway? Collectors – and we’re all collectors of one sort or another – use a combination of props and narratives to mark time and organize what’s messy, often making other messes as part of the process. (Hey, you know what they say about making an omelet…)
Sure, we’re talking about Gen X, but if you’re not part of our generation, find moments in yours.
So what are we all collecting? Well, that’s different for each of us. Why do we do it? Again, only you can answer that for you.
In the end, whether we’re hoarding matchbooks, movies, or memories, collecting is our quirky way of turning life’s chaos into something that makes sense—or at least takes up space. It’s like our own little scavenger hunt, where the prize is whatever weird stuff we decide to treasure. So, as you wade through your own piles of purposeful (or accidental) collections, remember it’s not just about the things you stash away, but the stories they spin and the laughs they bring. After all, life’s just one big collection of “what was I thinking?” moments, and let’s be honest—that’s what makes it fun.